A tradition at the start of every New Year is to make a resolution: a personal goal that you aim to achieve during the New Year. People associate the start of the new year with the idea of a new beginning; forget the past year’s mistakes and enter into this New Year with some concrete goals that this year you will achieve.
According to usa.gov, the most common recurring New Year’s resolutions are:
1. Drink less alcohol2. Get a better education
3. Get a better job
4. Get fit, Lose weight
5. Manage debt
6. Manage stress
7. Quit smoking
8. Save money
9. Take a trip
10. Volunteer to help others
All of these resolutions carry the theme of improving one’s self and life situation in some manner or another. Unfortunately, the majority of these goals fall by the way side throughout the year because of outside factors or unexpected events.
Instead of starting the New Year with these large encompassing goals, make smaller concrete resolutions along with a plan. Resolutions should be attainable, so make a plan that you can and will actually achieve. Prioritize your resolutions. It may help to utilize United Way’s three initiatives as a guide: Education, Health, and Income.
Resolutions don’t only have to be about improving your own life. In fact some of the most fulfilling resolutions can be about improving lives of others. Consider saving money for your child’s education before saving up for a brand new luxury car. After prioritizing your resolutions, make a plan by setting small, concrete goals. For example, instead of simply promising to volunteer to help others, make the goal to volunteer once every six weeks and then as time goes on, increase the frequency of your volunteering. Finally, figure out a method of keeping track of these resolutions. Keep a diary and take some time to reflect on your progress or moments when you were successful in keeping resolutions. That way, by the end of the year you can actually have an account of your successes and struggles, and see where you can progress from those resolutions.
United Way of Southeast Delaware County wishes everyone a happy New Year! As always, our resolution is to advance the common good for the community and create opportunities for a better life for all in Delaware County. In other words we resolve to Live United! Join us as we reach out a hand to you and your neighbors this year. Good luck to you all with your new year’s resolutions and look to our blog this week for more resolution suggestions!
